Not of this World

I always find it difficult to rate foreign films. Sometimes I tend to rate foreign films more highly because I expect a film that makes it to this country to be amazing or else it would never have been picked up for distribution. It's hard to keep the preconceived notions out of my head! However, this recent Italian film stands on its own. The story is of a nun who accidentally finds a baby and spends the film trying to find the mother. The film, at its core, is about her relationships -- to the baby, to the supposed father, to her order, and to the mother when she does find her and talk with her. It's hard to describe this latter scene as anything other than beautiful. It makes you feel lonely and alone, but also makes you feel at peace, as when you've finally figured something out that's been bothering you for a long time. I wish they'd make more films like this in this country -- quiet, contemplative, character-driven studies. With films like this, it's easy to recognize the craft as art.

original title: Fuori dal Mondo
year: 1999
length: 100 min.
rating: 3.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172477/combined